


Miss Flora's Murder Mysteries

by Kat_Lovegood



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: #justiceforflora, Fanzine, Gen, Good Omens References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 11:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21298616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Lovegood/pseuds/Kat_Lovegood
Summary: “Whenever Flora felt like this, like a bird in a golden cage, she escaped the only way she could – in her imagination. Over the years, her vast collection of books and the characters within them had become her best friends. She could remember asking Bruno to make them real for her so that she could talk to them, but he had replied that it would arouse suspicion if visitors found Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes walking the streets of the small English village. And so she had brought them to life herself, not as machines but as new stories, filled notebook after notebook with the adventures she had with them. Soon enough she made up her own characters and came to see them almost like real friends. They were not real, of course, but who in her life was?”(Written for the Justice for Flora Fanzine, go check them out on tumblr! @justiceforflora)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Miss Flora's Murder Mysteries

**Author's Note:**

> So, this work was originally written for the Justice for Flora Fanzine! Please check it out, it has some amazing art and stories by a lot of amazing people and is available for free via Tumblr!
> 
> https://justiceforflora.tumblr.com/
> 
> Have fun with this piece, and please, as always, leave a comment if you enjoyed it or if you have constructive criticism :)

On a sunny Friday afternoon, Big Ben had just rung 4:30, a delicate young girl with wide, dark eyes and light brown hair, opened the emerald-green door of an old house in a quiet street in the middle of London. Flora Reinhold had just come home from school and was excited to spend a quaint weekend with Luke and the Professor.

“Hello, Professor Layton, Luke. I'm home!“, she shouted enthusiastically. No one answered. Maybe they were still at the university? The girl decided to prepare tea for them, as the two gentlemen would no doubt be hungry once they came home. But as soon as she entered the kitchen she saw a scrap of paper neatly put down on the counter.

“_Hello Flora,“_, it read,

“_Luke and I have followed an urgent request to aid an investigation of Scotland Yard in the countryside. We might have to stay over the weekend, though we will be back before Monday. I hope you understand. I have left some money in the tin on the kitchen counter. Have a nice weekend, my dear. _

_Sincerely, Hershel Layton.“_

Flora moaned as she crumpled the note and tossed it to the ground. Why did they always leave her behind? Surely they could not have been gone for long, as Lukes classes only ended at two. They just did not want her to accompany them on their adventures, she thought. The Professor always told her that it was too dangerous for her, that she could get hurt. Luke had never got hurt, not really anyway, and he was younger than her. And way more reckless. But the Professor did not see it that way, and instead of taking her with him to look after her, he left her alone in a big city, all on her own. She knew he did it because he wanted to protect her, but she was so lonely, so isolated again. Just like back in Saint Mystere, stuck in a tower with no one who really understood her.

* * *

Whenever Flora felt like this, like a bird in a golden cage, she escaped the only way she could – in her imagination. Over the years, her vast collection of books and the characters within them had become her best friends. She could remember asking Bruno to make them real for her so that she could talk to them, but he had replied that it would arouse suspicion if visitors found Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes walking the streets of the small English village. And so she had brought them to life herself, not as machines but as new stories, filled notebook after notebook with the adventures she had with them. Soon enough she made up her own characters and came to see them almost like real friends. They were not real, of course, but who in her life was?

Now the young lady was sitting in a tiny cafe, just down the road, and watched the passers-by as she thought of a way to continue her current story. It was a murder mystery, and she currently needed to think of a way in which the young lord would kill his tyrannical father. A duel with ceremonial swords, perhaps? But no, better to use that for the ending, with the detective confronting the criminal in a dramatic fight. She needed to find a more subtle way to commit the crime. Poison, perhaps? But what kind? Surely arsenic and cyanide were quite unoriginal. Flora finished her third cup of tea, picked up her notes, paid at the counter and went straight to the bookshop on the corner of the road, where she had come to be a regular.

As soon as she came in, the heavenly smell of old books entered her nose. There was a great deal of disorder in the shop, just like in the Professors office, but she loved the cosy atmosphere that the big shelves and comfy armchairs provided. The girl strolled down the aisle, her finger wandering along the backs of countless old books, and as she had found one on Herbology and Toxins, she simply sat down on an old chair and began to read. The owner, a middle-aged man with curly white hair and a gentle smile, did not mind her coming there to read, rather than buy a book. In fact, he had let Flora borrow one or two precious old novels over the last few months and despite spending many afternoons in the shop, she had rarely seen a book actually being sold. It was rather curious, and she had started to wonder why Mr Fell did not own a library instead of a bookshop.

Time passed quickly, and soon Flora had noted down the names, effects and appearances of half a dozen poisonous plants that were fairly common in English gardens. She was so engrossed in her work that she did not notice Mr Fell watching her quite curiously, as he put an old encyclopedia back on a shelf.

“What are you reading there, my dear?“, he asked. “I do hope you are not planning to murder someone, young lady“, he joked. Flora giggled a bit and looked up.

“Of course not, Mr Fell. Well, at least not an actual person. But I need some inspiration for a story I am currently writing...“, she explained herself.

“Oh, so you are following in the footsteps of the greats, Miss Flora? A murder mystery, I assume?“, Mr Fell asked.

“Yes, my second one, actually. I finished the first one a few weeks ago“, Flora answered. “Of course no one has read it yet, and I doubt anyone ever will, but it is fun to write these stories nonetheless“, she smiled, but there was a shimmer of sadness in her eyes.

“I‘d like to read it, with your permission, of course“, the bookshop owner said.

“Oh, if you really want to, I can lend the book to you – well, it‘s not really a book of course, but I did write it on a typewriter, so I hope you can read it“, the girl replied enthusiastically.

“That would be wonderful!“

* * *

By the time she got the letter, Flora had almost forgotten about her conversation with Mr Fell. She was surprised when the Professor had handed the heavy envelope to her, as it was clearly not from someone she had known in Saint Mystere, and she had really no idea who else might write to her. Pierson & Company, it said on the front. Flora quickly went upstairs and opened it at her desk.

“_Dear Miss Reinhold,_

_we are delighted to offer you a deal on publishing your debut novel, “The Mechanics of Murder“...“_

Flora squealed in excitement as she read those lines. “Are you alright, Flora?“, the Professor shouted up from downstairs. “Yes, perfectly fine!“, she answered before continuing with the letter that complimented her style and creative ideas. She could not believe it. Someone actually wanted to publish her book! Her first instinct was to rush downstairs and tell Professor Layton all about it. But on the stairs, she changed her mind. It would be much better to surprise him and Luke with the printed book, or maybe even see whether they would find out on their own…

* * *

Only a few months later, “Mechanics of Murder“ had been released and immediately received a glowing review in the World Times. Flora had decided to wait a few weeks after the publication to tell Luke and the Professor. They never told her about their plans for adventures in time after all, and she anticipated seeing the astounded looks on their faces if they found out that she, naive little Flora, was the new appraised mystery writer “Aurelia Apple“.

And, soon enough, Professor Layton came home with the novel in hand. Apparently, at the recent archaeology conference in London, a colleague of his, a Professor Mallowan, had told him that he and his wife had simply adored this story.

“Oh, Professor, can you read it to us, please? I‘m all done with my work and Miles, a friend of mine, said it‘s a really good novel“, Luke requested. A few minutes later he, Flora and the Professor sat in the living room, each of them with a cup of tea and biscuits on the table, and the Professor began to read aloud:

“_It was a lovely day in the spring of 1948 when Fiona Richway and her younger cousin Lennox went to London to meet their uncle, the famous detective Dr Herbert Lawrence. The two of them were just discussing his latest case and hoped for an opportunity to accompany the great sleuth on an investigation...“_

The hours seemed to fly by, and they took turns reading. It was getting rather late, but as it was a Friday evening and none of them had any plans for the following day, the Professor gave in to Luke‘s frequent request of “One more chapter, please!“.

The young boy continued with the story:

“_While the party had left the parlour, Miss Richway stayed behind as she was captured by the sight of a particular painting on the wall. Something seemed odd about it, she thought to herself. It was coated in strange, yellow dust and the girl pulled… pulled out ah...“_

Luke suddenly yawned and the book fell shut on his lap. “Oh no, I've lost the page!“

“Don‘t worry. You were on page 157, and Fiona was just about to take her orange silk handkerchief to wipe the painting“, Flora answered eagerly. Layton suddenly chuckled to himself.

“Huh? What‘s so funny about it, Professor?“, Luke asked his mentor.

“Oh, I believe someone just gave themselves away, my boy“, he replied vaguely.

“So you already know who murdered Professor Sherbury?“, Luke questioned, referring to the book.

“No, I must say that mystery is still puzzling me. But I know who the author of this exciting plot is. And that person is you“, he said, while pointing at the girl in front of him.

“Flora? Flora wrote “Mechanics of Murder“? That can‘t be true!“, Luke gasped.

“Why not, Luke? Or do you think I‘m not smart enough to come up with such a story?“

“Eh, no, of course not, but… when did you have the time to do it? Without me and the Professor knowing...“

“Well, you two spend a lot of time on your adventures, so I‘d a lot of time to amuse myself by making up my own.“, Flora said coldly. “Though maybe now you see that I‘m not so stupid and naive that you have to protect me by always letting me stay behind“, she added, almost tearing up a bit now.

Professor Layton, like the gentleman that he was, quickly offered her his handkerchief.

“Oh, I am very sorry, my dear. Of course, I do not think that you are stupid, I was only concerned that you might get into danger if I took you with me. That you would be scared or get hurt, that you would rather live a safe, normal life. After all, unlike Luke, you can not just go home to your parents if you do not like staying with me...“, the Professor said and pulled his hat over his eyes.

And, all of a sudden, two slim arms wrapped around him as Flora sat down next to her guardian and gave him a tight hug.

“I forgive you, Professor. And I‘d like to stay with you, very much“, the girl said.

Professor Layton smiled. “Thank you, Flora“, he said, allowing the hug to last for a short moment before he pulled away slightly.

“And now we should continue with the book, as you have presented us with a truly engaging mystery, Flora. Would you care to read ahead, Luke? Surely you are dying to know who killed Professor Sherbury...“

_Luke was very surprised to find out that no one did..._


End file.
